The Denver Nuggets held to a consistent pattern from last year with their second and third picks in the 2017 NBA Draft, selecting a European forward and a guard from the U.S. college ranks.
Two picks apart, Denver selected Vlatko Cancar with the 49th pick and Monte Morris with the 51st pick to complete their night.
Cancar, 6-foot-8, 210 pounds, is a 20-year old forward out of Slovenia. He most recently played for KK Mega Leks of the Serbian League where he averaged 7.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 1.6 assists in 43 games (23 starts) in 2016-17. He spent the two previous seasons playing for LTHCast Skofja of the Slovenian League as well as both the Union Olimpija Senior and Junior Teams.
Morris, 6-foot-3, 175 pounds, played four seasons at Iowa State University, averaging 12.2 points, 3.7 rebounds, 5.5 assists and 1.61 steals in 140 career games (121 starts). He was named All-Big 12 First Team as a senior in 2017 with averages of 16.4 points, 4.8 points, 6.2 assists and 1.5 steals per game. The Grand Rapids, Mich. native was named to the All-Big 12 Second Team as both a junior and sophomore.
If that formula sounds familiar, it should. In 2016 Denver selected Juancho Hernangomez, a Spanish forward, with their second pick (No. 15 overall) and Malik Beasley, a guard from Florida State, with their third (No. 19 overall).
Unlike Hernangomez, however, Cancar will not come directly to the United States. Nuggets president of basketball operations Tim Connelly said in the post-draft press conference that Denver intends to keep Cancar with his Serbian club for the upcoming season.
There is slight variance between Morris and Beasley, as well. Morris is a point guard who played a full college career with the Cyclones, while Beasley is a shooting guard who played only one season with the Seminoles.
Hernangomez played in 62 games last season, averaging 13.6 minutes and 4.9 points. He scored a career-high 27 points in 43 minutes in a win over the Golden State Warriors on Feb. 13. Beasley appeared in 22 games, scoring 3.8 points over 7.5 minutes on average. His high marks came in a win over Oklahoma City, logging 17 points and 40 minutes on April 12.
Initially, it appeared that Hernangomez would spend a year in Spain – on a similar plan as Cancar – however his outstanding play in the NBA Summer League and the preseason warranted a place on the roster. Morris will get a similar shake, based on what Connelly indicated postgame. He indicated that Denver was surprised to land Morris so late in the draft and that the “pure point guard” will get a long look during Summer League.
On the night, Denver acquired four total players including Cancar and Morris.
In the first round, Denver traded out of the 13th pick, acquiring Trey Lyles and the No. 24 overall pick from Utah. The Jazz selected Donovan Mitchell from Louisville with No. 13. Denver selected Tyler Lydon of Syracuse with No. 24.
